Joy comes in the morning

It's amazing how God's timing is always so perfect. I think that God knew our hearts were heavy after a hard week of disappointing biopsy results, cancer diagnoses, and lots of tears. So, the day after we sent Betty and another patient with cancer back to Sierra Leone, all of us in outpatients needed a little something to lift our spirits. So, we were all filled with joy when we saw a patient named Mr. T come in for his first post-op appointment that day!

This wasn't our first interaction with Mr. T. He had started to visit our outpatient tent over a month beforehand for a dressing change to the new wound from the site where the biopsy had been done. The first time that Mr. T had come in for an appointment after his biopsy, I looked into his eyes and saw the deep shame and sadness that he carried. Like so many other patients who have large facial tumors, he came to us filled with a mixture of hope, fear, shame, and nervousness over what his final outcome would be. I didn't know if we would be able to help him and a bit of the sadness I saw in him filled my own heart. We prayed that he would be able to have the surgery, but hope was looking pretty bleak. The tumor was enormous and very vascular, which could present increased risks, even if the biopsy showed that it was a benign tumor. At this point, we couldn't do much more than wait and pray. He continued to visit us regularly for his dressing changes and consultations with the dietician. He began to take supplements that would help him grow and gain as much weight as possible, as his tumor had made it impossible for him to chew solid food, leaving him very thin.

Over the weeks that Mr. T came in for his dressing changes, I learned more of his story and got to know him and his sweet mother. He was 38 years old and had formerly played on a professional football team, just one level below the National Guinea team. He had been a strong, healthy guy with a bright future. But when the tumor started to grown inside his cheek, the rest of his body began to weaken and deteriorate. It was hard to picture such a scrawny man as a strong athlete. I tried to imagine what it must've been like for this man to go from fame and success to being an outcast who tried to hide behind the cloth that continually covered his face. The tumor had been growing for the last five years and had completely overtaken his face and his life.

When Mr. T heard that a hospital ship was coming to Sierra Leone in 2011, he desperately wanted to come for any help he could get. However, he didn't have the money to travel over from Guinea and had to keep waiting. But, when he found out that Mercy Ships was coming to Guinea, he made sure to be present for the big screening held at the People's Palace. "I remember you from screening," he told me. "You do," I asked surprised. He went on to describe where I was when I greeted him as I was walking to my station at screening. To be honest, I don't actually remember meeting him. I had just said "hello" as we passed each other. But, somehow it stuck with him and now we were more than acquainatances. We were friends.
The weeks passed as Mr. T came in for his dressing changes and nutritional supplements. Finally, the waiting came to an end and his biopsy results came back and the surgeon was able to further assess his situation. His biopsy showed that his tumor was benign and after a closer evaluation of what would be involved in the surgery, our amazing maxillo-facial surgeon agreed to perform the surgery! Mr. T's big day came and everything went well. The surgery itself took more than six hours and the end result was the removal of the entire tumor- all two kilograms of it!

Checking out the new incision



I made several visits to see Mr. T on the ward after his tumor had been removed.In spite of all the tubes and bandages, he was full of joy and gratitude. I went to see him again after the bandage had been taken off and I could hardly believe my eyes! He looked like a brand new man! His incision looked perfect and the tumor was completely gone! He and his mother were both smiling and all of us could hardly contain our joy as we celebrated with him!

Mr. T getting stronger on the ward



So, hearing Mr. T's incredible story, it is obvious why the sight of this man stepping into our tent for the first time after surgery brought so much joy to our hearts on the day we needed it most! Since that day, Mr. T has been visiting us regularly to check his wounds. He is healing well and the swelling in his face where the tumor used to be continues to decrease every day! Every time he comes in, he always thanks me over and over again for all we have done to help him. I remind him that it is a privilege for us to be able to be part of this transformation and the we do it becasue of God's love.

Down in the Outpatients tent, we frequently get calls from the wards asking us to bring Mr. T down for a visit. He captured the heart of everyone he met during his time in the hospital and the nurses there miss him. Every time I escort him from our tent on the dock to the wards on the ship, I tell him "You are so popular and you have so many friends!" " Yes, I have so many friends here," he responds. And it's true. He really does. I am grateful to be one of those friends. There isn't one day that passes that his smile doesn't bring joy to my heart and a smile to my own face. He is no longer hiding behind a cloth. He is smiling and proud. And he was our reminder that even though we can't help everyone, the ones we can help will leave forever changed...and they might even leave a mark on our hearts that will change us too!

"Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning" ~Psalm 30:5